You will never take being in the water with an inflated lifejacket on, for granted ever again.

Very much recommend and money very well spent

Agreed, did the course with Ian from Seaskills in Oban last weekend , learnt loads, including don't necessarily expect your lifjacket to inflate automatically (mine didn't) or the life raft to inflate properly either for that matter! A lesson better learnt in a swimming pool than in the dark in a rough sea!

interesting - what's the cure - pull the red handle or take it off and swim? what's the fault - the auto part or something else?

Simple, pull the red toggle (it was the automatic bit that failed)............. but that is something you might not remember in the blind panic of being tipped into a very cold and rough sea! Better to learn the lesson in a warm swimming pool, hopefuly you are then more likely to remember if it ever comes to the real thing.